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You can use the special ability of Babylon (side B, 2nd stage) to get a 7th turn (EDIT: well, apparently not) where you are allowed to play your last (7th) card (which would otherwise be discarded). You can use this ability in each age (if the 2nd step is built).

How does this work in a 2-player game where the 'Free City' (NPC) uses Babylon?

Let's say the 2nd wonder stage is already built. It's the 6th turn. Player Bob manages the 'Free City'. After playing his and the NPC's card, he has left 1 card on his hand. The 'Free City' pile has 1 hidden card left. Player Alice has also 1 card left on her hand. Now the NPC gets a 7th turn.

  • Bob plays his last card?
  • Bob draws the last pile card and chooses which of his two cards to play?
  • Bob discards his card, draws the last pile card and plays it?
  • Bob transfers his card to Alice, and Alice …
    • discards her card and plays the one handed over by Bob?
    • discards her card, draws the last pile card and chooses which of her two cards to play?
  • Alice plays her last card?
  • Alice draws the last pile card and chooses which of her two cards to play?
  • Alice discards her card, draws the last pile card and plays it?

(did I miss a possibility?)

Note that even if there would be no choice which card to play, it's still important which player has to play it for the 'Free City' (because this player has to decide whether to build the card or the 3rd wonder stage).

Also, if the last card of one of the players has to be played, it's important which player's hand is used, because one of the players might have the wonder Halicarnassus (which allows to build discarded cards).

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  • Note: The same question is asked on boardgamegeek.com.
    – unor
    Commented Dec 2, 2012 at 2:35
  • Started formulating a read-as-written answer based on the idea that the Free City can't use special abilities (play from discard, double-play, copy guild) since you only play its action, but then there's no clear definition of whether these abilities are used as part of an action. In the end, I really don't know, but I would think it most sensible to have the player ending the round look at the last card in the draw pile and decide whether or not Babylon should play it.
    – Samthere
    Commented Dec 10, 2012 at 16:44

1 Answer 1

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The player controlling the Free City during the 6th turn plays the last remaining card in the Free City's draw pile.

The 7-wonders rules define each Wonder boards special abilities. (page 9)

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon the second stage gives the player the option of playing their seventh Age card instead of discarding it. This card can be played by paying its costs, discarded to earn 3 coins or used in the building of the third phase of the Wonder.

Clarification : during the sixth turn, the player can therefore play both cards they have in hand. If the second stage of the Wonder is not built, the Babylon player can then build it on their sixth turn and then play the seventh card instead of discarding it.

There isn't really a 7th turn in an Age, but it helps to think of it as an extra turn, since the resources used to build the 6th card as well as the 6th card itself are available to build the 7th and last card. This 7th card is normally the card that you would discard during the 6th turn of an Age, so that is the card that the player controlling the Free City can play to construct a structure, build their wonder, or if both if those are impossible to discard for 3 coins. (Page 7)

Clarification : The Free City cannot discard a card to get 3 coins unless it cannot play a card.

Note : during the sixth turn of the age, there is only one card remaining in the Free city’s draw pile. This last card is discarded at the same time as the seventh and last card of the players.

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